Friday

12 June 2015

Background

The stories of Elisha's ability to heal abound and the one of
Naaman's healing comes in the middle of them all. The story gives
us an insight into the highly structured society of which Naaman
was part. Permissions have to be granted for the servant girl to
convey her knowledge, for Naaman to go and see the prophet and for
the King to grant permission to Elisha to see Naaman. In the
intervening dialogues tempers are stretched and valuable goods and
money are offered as gifts of payment. It all sounds quite
complicated.

The story begins with the servant girl who knows about a man who
can help her master. Not able to go to him directly the girl tells
her mistress who tells her husband, who asks the King of Aram, who
sends him with a letter to the King of Israel, who sees the request
as a threat to him until the prophet's servant points him in the
right direction. The servant girl, the most hidden within that
society, is the one who has the knowledge that will transform
Naaman's life but it seems that she has to be careful about how she
releases that information.

Having travelled to meet Elisha, Naaman is incensed at being
told what to do to cure his leprosy by relayed message (verse 11).
He may feel as though the prophet cannot really be bothered with
him, even though he is the commander of the King of Aram's army.
But again it is the hidden ones, his servants who pacify him and
encourage him to do as the prophet has said; it is, they say, a
very simple thing to do (verse 13).

To Ponder

Human beings can and do sometimes, make life too complicated
with the systems we set up. We can overlook simplicity and
innocence, 'the hidden ones', and in so doing reinforce a hierarchy
that restricts our natural inclinations and can make us fearful of
'not getting it right'. But "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). Consider how these words sit
with you alongside hierarchical processes in the Church and in the
light of today's passage.

Culturally we learn that the more complicated a task sounds,
the greater its appeal and more prestige seem to be attached to
accomplishing the complicated. As Christians, our calling today has
more about being counter-cultural than going with the flow. Reflect
on the cost of counter-culturalism to you, those you know and love,
and what it might mean for the future of the Church.

Bible notes author

Margaret Sawyer

Margaret Sawyer has worked for the Methodist Connexional Team for ten years, first as connexional secretary for Women's Network and then as the Church's equality and diversity officer. She now works to support preaching and worship in her local circuit and district.